Practicing PA's or SPA's

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Would any recent PA's (or even not so recent) like to share there experiences preparing for PA school?

Who provided you with recommendations (PA, MD, Prof., Co-workers.....)?

How much shadowing did you do?

Did you shadow simply to see if you liked PA or did you shadow more for the reason you needed a rec. and shadowing experience to put on your application?

How many schools did you apply?

I ask because I recently looked at the large number of applicants to PA school and I'm wondering if all these folks actually spend a lot of time shadowing....if so, there are a lot of PA students in their shadows....I mentored one potential pre-PT student in my career and it completely screwed up my work day (it really slows you down). I just ended up offering htem a recommendation because I new that was what they were after.


By the way - This site is fantastic. I was recommended here by a mentor. Great place!
 
If by "SPA" you mean students (technically that would be "PA-S" where a certified PA who has passed the board exam is a "PA-C") then I'll bite.

Who provided you with recommendations (PA, MD, Prof., Co-workers.....)? My three CASPA letters were from 1) The head of my post-bac program; 2) a PA former co-worker; and 3) an MD former instructor.

How much shadowing did you do? I was EMT-certified, and that involved a little, both trailing the Medics on a rig and hanging out in an ED. Then I worked as an ER Tech for about three years overall, which meant that most of my experience was paid. However, because my experience was from a big-city ED, I took the opportunity to shadow a PA in the rural area where I was doing post-bac, one evening a week for 10 weeks.

Did you shadow simply to see if you liked PA or did you shadow more for the reason you needed a rec. and shadowing experience to put on your application? I shadowed because I was leaving a decent-paying job in the business sector, and wanted to be absolutely sure this was the right path for me. My letters of rec were from people who knew me well, and could talk specifically about why I was a good candidate.

The folks I simply shadowed were willing to write LOR for me, but I honestly don't know how complete and specific they would have been able to be. My writers saw me deal with a spectrum of problems at work or in the classroom, and that's probably why (I'm told) they were awesome letters.

How many schools did you apply? EDITED because I see I forgot that last question. I applied to two schools, with a third in reserve because it had a January start. Of the first two, one I got an interview and one I didn't but it was a long-shot anyway. I was ready to apply to several more schools if the first few didn't work out well, but I wound up getting in right after my first interview.
 
my recommendations were written by 2 md's and 1 pa whom I had worked with for 5 yrs during my time as an er tech.
 
Febrifuge said:
If by "SPA" you mean students (technically that would be "PA-S" where a certified PA who has passed the board exam is a "PA-C") then I'll bite.
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Sorry about that - good lesson for me - I should've known that.
PA-S from now on

Bill

I should correct myself as well.....I wrote PT - I'm actually a PTA - then went back to school and completed my BS in AT - I'm still learning about how the student network forums work....
Thanks for the feedback...
 
Lights out said:
Would any recent PA's (or even not so recent) like to share there experiences preparing for PA school?

Who provided you with recommendations (PA, MD, Prof., Co-workers.....)?

1. My medical director from the bloodbank where I worked and on the same campus as the PA school I attended. 2. My professor (masters degree working on a PhD) from my med tech program. Also on the same campus as the PA school I attended. 3. A friend that I knew from undergrad with a PhD that I tutored other students for.
How much shadowing did you do?

I only did 40 hours and that was just to be sure it was done in case they wanted that sort of thing.

Did you shadow simply to see if you liked PA or did you shadow more for the reason you needed a rec. and shadowing experience to put on your application?

The second one.

How many schools did you apply?

One the first time and I did not get in. That year they switched over to a Masters program and so I had to get my Bachelors. Five years later I applied to just one school, the same one, and got in. I knew what I wanted to do and I knew the school that I wanted to go to.

I ask because I recently looked at the large number of applicants to PA school and I'm wondering if all these folks actually spend a lot of time shadowing....if so, there are a lot of PA students in their shadows....I mentored one potential pre-PT student in my career and it completely screwed up my work day (it really slows you down). I just ended up offering htem a recommendation because I new that was what they were after.

I had a lot of experience (scrub tech, EMT and medical technologist) and was not very concerned about the shadowing experience as a tool to try out my future profession, more of checking off one more thing on the app. In discussions later with my program director I asked why they recommended shadowing and he said they had asked a lot of applicants if they knew what a PA did and most of them could not give a coherent answer.

By the way - This site is fantastic. I was recommended here by a mentor. Great place!
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Good luck.
 
QUOTE=Lights out;6320576]Would any recent PA's (or even not so recent) like to share there experiences preparing for PA school?

Who provided you with recommendations (PA, MD, Prof., Co-workers.....)? Gee, let me think. 1) an MD I had worked with for a few years 2) a PA I had worked with for a year and had known personally for a few years and 3) a bio professor who gave me a much kinder recommendation than I deserved academically speaking.

How much shadowing did you do? None. Never shadowed. It wasn't really done much then. I still think it's a waste of time (both the shadower's and the shadowee's).
Did you shadow simply to see if you liked PA or did you shadow more for the reason you needed a rec. and shadowing experience to put on your application? None, I never shadowed. I worked with PAs instead. Now, granted, this was right before the explosion of PA programs and there probably aren't enough PAs to go around for all the wannabe PAs to get some direct experience working with, but still, I'm anti-shadowing.
How many schools did you apply? One. Well, really, 2, but I got rejected pre-secondary from one of the 2, and got into one (after being turned down initially). So I went to PA school.
I ask because I recently looked at the large number of applicants to PA school and I'm wondering if all these folks actually spend a lot of time shadowing....if so, there are a lot of PA students in their shadows....I mentored one potential pre-PT student in my career and it completely screwed up my work day (it really slows you down). I just ended up offering htem a recommendation because I new that was what they were after.
Exactly. Shadowing DOES slow you down. I've only ever had one pre-PA shadow me and she made a commitment to do it once weekly for a few months and was always respectful. I also made a point of having her shadow me in my second job that was slower-paced and where there was more time to teach. The downside is she may not have seen much, but ideally her limited time with me would not have been her only exposure to PAs. I don't know if she decided to go for PA or not as we lost touch.
Now, as for precepting PA students, that's another matter entirely. I've never taken a clinical year student as a primary preceptor although I should have and was asked to a few times. I always felt too overwhelmed and busy. If I knew now about what it means to be busy, I would laugh at myself. I think we owe a debt of gratitude to our profession to precept students--to teach as we were taught. It does slow us down, but I also have felt that when I had a student (I had a few first-year PA students, 1/2 day weekly, not much but it's something) I learned more because of the questions they asked. So overall it's good to have fresh meat.
Anyway, good luck with your PA plans.
Lisa
 
Lights out said:
Would any recent PA's (or even not so recent) like to share there experiences preparing for PA school?

Who provided you with recommendations (PA, MD, Prof., Co-workers.....)?
Lets see. Doc, PA and Department chair of BS program (molecular genetics)
How much shadowing did you do?
None. Worked with PAs in the ARMY, worked with PAs in the OR. No need.
Did you shadow simply to see if you liked PA or did you shadow more for the reason you needed a rec. and shadowing experience to put on your application?
See above.
How many schools did you apply?
Applied to on school didn't get in. Next year applied to 10 schools. Went to five interviews got three acceptances and a waitlist. Canceled the rest.
I ask because I recently looked at the large number of applicants to PA school and I'm wondering if all these folks actually spend a lot of time shadowing....if so, there are a lot of PA students in their shadows....I mentored one potential pre-PT student in my career and it completely screwed up my work day (it really slows you down). I just ended up offering htem a recommendation because I new that was what they were after.
I have PA shadows fairly often. ACNP and PA students also. It really doesn't slow things up once you get used to it. With students it takes a couple of days to figure out where they are in the educational process then we generally let them do as much as they want (are able) to do.

By the way - This site is fantastic. I was recommended here by a mentor. Great place!
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Try the PA forum when it gets back up.

David Carpenter, PA-C
 
Lights out said:
Would any recent PA's (or even not so recent) like to share there experiences preparing for PA school?

Who provided you with recommendations (PA, MD, Prof., Co-workers.....)? 1-PA 1-MD and my Boss, an EMTP

How much shadowing did you do? None, I worked full time EMS for about 4 years as a paramedic, and volunteered as an EMT-B and wroked as a CNA for 4 years prior, while in college. While working as a paramedic, I worked with many PAs and NPs

Did you shadow simply to see if you liked PA or did you shadow more for the reason you needed a rec. and shadowing experience to put on your application?

How many schools did you apply? 3, interviews at 2 and accepted at 2 of them

I ask because I recently looked at the large number of applicants to PA school and I'm wondering if all these folks actually spend a lot of time shadowing....if so, there are a lot of PA students in their shadows....I mentored one potential pre-PT student in my career and it completely screwed up my work day (it really slows you down). I just ended up offering htem a recommendation because I new that was what they were after.


By the way - This site is fantastic. I was recommended here by a mentor. Great place! The PA Forum is great too!
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